


manifestly

by sarahyyy



Category: HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trap, HIStory3-圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped (Web Series)
Genre: Communication, Established Relationship, Interrogation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 10:29:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18715207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahyyy/pseuds/sarahyyy
Summary: “As a show of good faith,” Jack says, sighing, “I’ll start. I know I’m here because you guys know that I have been tailing the victim for about a week now. I know you don’t have any concrete evidence indicating that I’ve done it. I also know that International Crimes doesn’t really think that I have anything to do with it, otherwise they would’ve sent someone with more seniority to question me.” Jack smiles kindly at Officer Cheng. “I don’t mean that in a bad way — it’s just I’ve done this a lot with your team.”





	manifestly

Jack’s not actually too bothered by the fact that the guys from the International Crimes Division has asked him to come in to “assist on an investigation” again. It’s mostly a fishing expedition by the cops — they know it, and they know that Jack knows it too.

All the same, if there’s really someone out here picking off his targets, then Jack may as well come in for a cup of tea and scope out the competition. Not that he really minds. Whoever’s behind that incident at the harbour just saved Jack a lot of time.

Jack thinks if he can figure out who it is, he might even send them a fruit basket. 

“Where were you two nights ago?” the officer questioning him, Officer Cheng, starts with. 

“Around,” Jack says vaguely. He leans slightly forward. “This is about the murder at the harbour, isn’t it?”

“What do you know about it?” Officer Cheng says, eyes narrowed. 

“How about this,” Jack says around a grin. “You tell me what you know, and I’ll tell you what else I have to say about it?”

“Do you think this is a joke?” Officer Cheng asks, not looking like he’s about to tell Jack anything useful.

Jack sighs. He must be a newbie, then. 

“Look,” Jack says. “You have the right to hold me for up to 24 hours, and I am more than happy to stay for that period of time, but there’s no obligation on my part to have to tell you anything. Also, you and I both know that if I ask you for a phone call to ring my lawyer, you will have to let me do it, and I’ll probably be out of here within the hour.” He shrugs a little, and flashes another quick smile at Officer Cheng. “I’m happy to stay, and I’m happy to talk, but you have to make it worth my time, you know? It’s not that hard.”

Officer Cheng seethes at the slight to his authority, but doesn’t otherwise start talking.

“As a show of good faith,” Jack says, sighing, “I’ll start. I know I’m here because you guys know that I have been tailing the victim for about a week now. I know you don’t have any concrete evidence indicating that I’ve done it. I also know that International Crimes doesn’t really think that I have anything to do with it, otherwise they would’ve sent someone with more seniority to question me.” Jack smiles kindly at Officer Cheng. “I don’t mean that in a bad way — it’s just I’ve done this a lot with your team.”

“You’re still a suspect,” Officer Cheng tells him, almost petulant. 

“Of course,” Jack allows. 

“I still think you did it,” Officer Cheng says, and ah, that’s probably why he’s here questioning Jack — everyone else must’ve thought that this would be a time-wasting exercise. 

They’re not wrong.

“I have an alibi,” Jack says airily, but doesn’t otherwise offer up more information. “Tell me more about the case. Do you have photos of the victim I can maybe look at? I might be able to see something that you guys haven’t managed to see.”

“Tell me about your alibi so that we can confirm it,” Officer Cheng counters. 

“Show me the crime scene photos first, and then I’ll tell you about my alibi,” Jack offers. “Officer Cheng, if I get bored, I’m going to ask for my phone call,” he reminds him.

Officer Cheng glares at him, and then reluctantly slides a paper envelope across the table. 

Jack grins at that. 

Officer Cheng didn’t even have to excuse himself to ask for permission to release the photos to Jack — clearly, the whole idea behind this questioning they’ve staged today is to try to get some information out of Jack. 

For a moment, Jack almost wants to tell Officer Cheng that he should at least pretend to have to go and ask for permission next time, just as a helpful tip, but he thinks better of the idea almost immediately after it comes to him. Officer Cheng’s ego has already taken a hard enough hit today; Jack is big enough to let it go. 

There are six photos in the envelope; Jack is only on his third when he figures out who stole his kill. All the same, he goes through all six photos in detail, his mind already trying to work out how the hit must’ve been planned. It’s not the most sophisticated job, but some surveillance work must’ve still been required, and Jack is a little impressed by how they’ve managed to do that without alerting Jack, who was also tailing the victim. 

“Interesting,” he murmurs.

“We had a deal,” Officer Cheng reminds him. “Alibi.”

Jack almost wants to lean across the table to tell Officer Cheng that he needs to sort out his priorities, and that he really should be asking Jack about what he thinks of the photos and not his alibi, but _well_. If Officer Cheng doesn’t want to know, then Jack doesn’t have to tell him.

“I was near Xinlong Park on Rui’an Street,” Jack tells him. 

Officer Cheng scowls. “What do you mean _near_ Xinlong Park? Where were you at exactly?”

“I know someone who lives on Rui’an Street,” Jack continues. “I was visiting that night.”

“Visiting who?” Officer Cheng continues. “Name. Address.”

“That’s a lot of information that you want to trade over just six crime scene photos,” Jack teases. 

Officer Cheng glares at him. “You said you would tell me-”

He’s cut off by the door to the interrogation room opening. 

Jack turns back to look, expecting one of the more senior officers, ready to step in and focus on more important things, but it’s _Zhao Zi_.

Jack blinks, surprised for a second, and then considers that he shouldn’t be surprised at all — of course Zhao Zi would know if he’s been asked to come into the police station. Jack probably should’ve told him first; Zhao Zi must’ve been worried. 

All the same, it’s good to see Zhao Zi. 

Jack’s missed him.

He flashes a grin at Zhao Zi, and waves. “Did you drop by to see me?”

Zhao Zi returns his smile, but only for a second, and then turns to look at Officer Cheng instead. 

“If this is about that incident at the harbour, Jack didn’t do it,” Zhao Zi says. “He was with me two nights ago, from approximately half past six in the evening right through to the next day.”

Officer Cheng looks down at his notepad. “Near Xinlong Park on Rui’an Street?”

Zhao Zi nods. “I live nearby.”

“Why was he at your house?” Officer Cheng asks. 

Zhao Zi rolls his eyes. “He’s my boyfriend, of course he’ll be at my house. Where else would he be? At yours?”

Jack laughs at that, delighted.

Officer Cheng’s jaw drops. “Your...boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Zhao Zi says firmly. “Can we go now?”

He doesn’t wait for Officer Cheng to reply, just reaches for Jack’s hand, and tugs him out of the interrogation room. 

“Are you alright?” Zhao Zi asks, when they’ve left the International Crimes Division. 

Jack smiles at him, and nods. 

“Why were you in there for so long?” Zhao Zi asks. “Why didn’t you just tell them that you were with me?” 

“I wasn’t sure if it would affect your work to be associated with me,” Jack tells Zhao Zi honestly. Zhao Zi’s declaration to International Crimes has basically assuaged all worries that Jack had around the issue; he sees no reason why he should keep it from Zhao Zi now when it’s clear that Zhao Zi doesn’t care. “I was afraid you might be embarrassed,” he says, and it’s mostly a joke, but he knows it’s the wrong thing to say when Zhao Zi’s face falls. 

Zhao Zi is quiet for a moment, and then he reaches out, and wraps his arms around Jack, pressing close. “I don’t care about that,” he says, voice slightly muffled. “Why would you even think that I would?”

Jack swallows, hit with an emotion that he cannot seem to name. 

He folds his arms gently around Zhao Zi, and presses his lips to Zhao Zi’s hair. “I’m sorry,” he says. “Are you upset?”

“A little,” Zhao Zi tells him, and Jack’s chest clenches painfully at that. 

“Sorry,” he says again.

Zhao Zi pulls away at that. “Just so we’re both clear,” he says, “I’ve told everyone I work with that we’re together. It’s common knowledge that I like you.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Jack says, and tugs Zhao Zi into another hug again, squeezes Zhao Zi tighter. “It’s almost lunchtime,” he says, instead ‘ _I like you too, I like you so much_ ’. “I’ll take you out for lunch. What do you want to eat?”

Zhao Zi looks up at him, smiles at him like he’s heard Jack anyway, and says, “You can choose today.”

**Author's Note:**

> ......I know, I know, I still have all those Guardian WIPs, _I know_.
> 
> As usual, you can find me [here on Tumblr](https://sarah-yyy.tumblr.com/post/184659421738/manifestly-sarahyyy-history3-%E5%9C%88%E5%A5%97-history3), come say hi! :D


End file.
